What's New in SQL Server 2016 Release Candidate (RC0)
Updated: March 3, 2016
Applies To: SQL Server 2016 Preview
This topic summarizes the new features in the current monthly build of SQL Server 2016 Release Candidate (RC0). The topic also contains links to more detailed component level what's new information for the current month and previous monthly builds.
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For the current release notes, see SQL Server 2016 Release Notes.
Database Engine - new this month
Support for UTF-8 – bcp Utility, BULK INSERT, and OPENROWSET now support the UTF-8 code page. For more information, see those topics andCreate a Format File (SQL Server).
New string functions – STRING_SPLIT (Transact-SQL) and STRING_ESCAPE (Transact-SQL) are added.
New JSON_MODIFY function. The built-in support for JSON also now includes the JSON_MODIFY (Transact-SQL) function. Use theJSON_MODIFY function to update the value of a property in a JSON string and return the updated JSON string.
New or improved in Stretch Database
- New preview version on Azure. A preview of a new version of Stretch Database on Azure that supports one petabyte of data is now available. To register for preview access, go to SQL Server Stretch Database preview.
- Azure Active Directory authentication. The option to use a federated service account for SQL Server to communicate with the remote Azure SQL Database server when certain conditions are true no longer requires a trace flag. For more info, see Enable Stretch Database for a database.
Parallel scan of nonclustered indexes on MEMORY_OPTIMIZED tables: Now all indexes on MEMORY_OPTIMIZED tables support parallel scan. This speeds the performance of analytical queries that scan large sets of data.
For more detailed what's new information and information on previous months, see What's New in Database Engine.
New values for the model database and default values for new databases (which are based on model). The initial size of the data and log files is now 8 MB. The default auto-growth of data and log files is now 64MB.
Autogrow options: Trace flag 1117 is replaced by the AUTOGROW_SINGLE_FILE and AUTOGROW_ALL_FILES option of ALTER DATABASE, and trace flag 1117 has no affect. For more information, see ALTER DATABASE File and Filegroup Options (Transact-SQL) and the new is_autogrow_all_files column of sys.filegroups (Transact-SQL).
Allocation of mixed extents: Trace flag 1118 is replaced with the SET MIXED_PAGE_ALLOCATION option of ALTER DATABASE, and trace flag 1118 has no affect. For more information, see ALTER DATABASE SET Options (Transact-SQL), and the new is_mixed_page_allocation_on column ofsys.databases (Transact-SQL).
SQL Server Management Tools: SQL Server Management Tools is no longer installed from the main feature tree; for details see Install SQL Server Management Tools.
For more detailed what's new information and information on previous months, see What's New in Database Engine.
Analysis Services - new this month
PowerShell for Tabular models at 1200 compatibility level
RC0 completes the PowerShell enhancements for Tabular models created at the SQL Server 2016 version. You can use all of the applicable cmdlets, plus two new cmdlets specific to Tabular mode: Invoke-ProcessASDatabase and Invoke-ProcessTable.
SSIS Tasks for Tabular models at 1200 compatibility level
SSIS tasks and destinations against a SQL Server 2016 tabular model use tabular object representations instead of multidimensional. For example, in the latest SSDT, when you select objects to process, the Processing Task will automatically detect it is a Tabular model and show Tabular objects instead of measuregroups and dimensions.
Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular namespace for Tabular 1200 programmability in AMO
Analysis Services Management objects is updated to include a new Tabular namespace for managing a Tabular instance of SQL Server 2016 Analysis Services (at compatibility level 1200), as well as provide the data definition language for creating or modifying Tabular models programmatically. Visit Microsoft.AnalysisServices.Tabular to read up on the API.
Display folders for Tabular models at 1200 compatibility level
Defined in SQL Server Data Tools and rendered in client applications like Excel or Power BI Desktop, display folders help you organize large numbers of measures into individual folders, adding a visual hierarchy that is easier for report users to navigate.
Integration Services - new this month
SSIS Designer creates and maintains packages for SQL Server 2016, 2014, or 2012. You can now use SSIS Designer in SQL Server Data Tools (SSDT) for Visual Studio 2015 to create and maintain packages that target SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2014, or SQL Server 2012. In the property pages for an Integration Services project, on the General tab of Configuration Properties, select the TargetServerVersion property and choose SQL Server 2016, SQL Server 2014, or SQL Server 2012. To get SSDT, see Download Latest SQL Server Data Tools.
Support for server-wide default logging level. In SQL Server Server Properties, under the Server logging level property, you can now select a default server-wide logging level. You can pick from one of the built-in logging levels - basic, none, verbose, performance, or runtime lineage - or you can pick an existing customized logging level. The selected logging level applies to all packages deployed to the SSIS Catalog. It also applies by default to a SQL Agent job step that runs an SSIS package.
HDFS File Destination now supports ORC file format. The HDFS File Destination now supports the ORC file format in addition to Text and Avro. (The HDFS File Source supports only Text and Avro.) For more info about this component, see HDFS File Destination.
For more detailed what's new information and information on previous months, see What's New in Integration Services.
Master Data Services - new this month
Derived Hierarchy Management Experience Improved
The derived hierarchy management experience in MDS has been improved. For more information about this feature, see Create a Derived Hierarchy (Master Data Services).
For more detailed what's information on previous months, see What's New in Master Data Services (MDS).
Reporting Services - new this month
For more detailed what's new information and information on previous months, see What's New in Reporting Services (SSRS).
SQL Server R Services
For more detailed what's new information and information on previous months, see What's New in SQL Server R Services.
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More information about SQL Server 2016
For more information about SQL Server 2016 Release Candidate (RC0), or to download the SQL Server 2016 Release Candidate (RC0) data sheet, see SQL Server 2016 Preview.
